Dynamic Response of a Beam Excited by a Moving Mass

This paper presents a combined finite element/finite difference technique to determine the response of a beam excited by a moving mass. The technique introduced herein is based on a Lagrange Multiplier formulation that allows one to represent the compatibility condition at the beam/mass interface using a set of auxiliary functions. This approach can be easily adapted to a standard finite element code. In addition, its extension to treat more complex problems is straightforward. Two examples of application are discussed.